Bernard de Ventadour was born in the province of
Limousin in south-central France. One biographer,
writing long after his subject’s death, claimed
that Bernard was a lowly servant in charge of heating
the ovens at the viscount of Ventadorn’s castle.
According to this biographer, Bernard fell in love
with the viscount’s wife and addressed his love
songs to her. The viscount discovered the affair,
and Bernard moved to Normandy, where he had a
love affair with Eleanor of Aquitaine.When she left
to marry Henry II of England, Bernard joined the
court of Count Raymond V of Toulouse. Finally,
when Raymond died, Bernard became a monk.
In reality, we know little of Bernard’s life apart
from what we can glean from his songs. Although
he was probably not a menial servant, he almost
definitely grew up in the castle of Ventadorn (or
Ventadour). In the vida (a biographical portion of
verse found in most TROUBADOUR songs) of one
song, he claims to be the son of a man-at-arms and
a relative of the viscount of Ventadorn. He was acquainted
with Eleanor of Aquitaine, and it is certain
that he knew Henry II of England. Because
12th-century Ventadour was a hotbed of troubadour
activity, Bernard must have been acquainted
with the works of earlier composers like JAUFRÉ
RUDEL and with the more popular MEDIEVAL ROMANCE.
Bernard’s songs are remarkable expressions of
courtly love (see CHIVALRY AND COURTLY LOVE) and,
more specifically, of fin’amor (expressions of the
impact of love on the individual), of which he is
credited as being the creator. Unlike the works of
some of his contemporaries, they are neither too
complicated nor difficult to understand, nor too
polished or simple. “It is no wonder if I sing better
than any other singer,” begins one song, “for my
heart draws me more towards love and I am better
made for its commands.” In another song, which
begins with the line “I have a heart so full of love,”
Bernard declares himself to be so happy “That the
ice appears to me a flower, / And the snow lies
green.” Later in the poem, however, he complains
that he is suffering even more than Tristan did when
trying to win Iseult (see TRISTAN AND ISEULT). Scholar
James Wilhelm notes that Bernard’s reasoning thus
“follows the rather helter-skelter pattern of the
somewhat crazed, moon-bewitched lover.”
At times, Bernard implicitly and wittily compares
his secular love for a woman to a pious love
for the Virgin Mary. (The Provençal language in
which he wrote derived from Latin, the language of
the Church.) Mentions of paradise, grace, and a
lady whom the poet hopes will grant his pleas all
were sure to remind medieval listeners of religion,
even as the poet wished for a reward that was decidedly
secular.
Several of Bernard’s contemporaries enjoyed
more popularity in the 12th century, but 20thcentury
readers and critics esteem Bernard’s work
far above that of rival troubadours.Wilhelm believes
that Bernard
has one of the best senses of humor in medieval
literature. Furthermore, he is diversified:
his stanzas constantly surprise with their sudden,
sometimes illogical shifts of tone that keep
the reader’s wits on edge.He has the same kind
of brittle, inexhaustible melodic quality that
crackles in Mozart’s sonatas.
Approximately 40 of Bernard’s songs still survive,
and scholars rank his verses above those of fellow
troubadours Rudel and Marcabru for their sensuality
and freedom of expression.
See also MIDDLE AGES.
English Versions of Works by
Bernard de Ventadour
Bilingual Edition of the Love Songs of Bernart de Ventadorn
in Occitan and English: Sugar and Salt.
Translated by Ronnie Apter and Mark Herman.
Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen, 1999.
“I have a heart so full of love.” In Seven Troubadours:
The Creators of Modern Verse. Edited by James J.
Wilhelm. University Park, Pa.: Penn State University
Press, 1970.
“It is no wonder if I sing better than any other singer”
and “When I see the lark moving its wings against
the sun’s rays.” In The Courtly Love Tradition.
Edited by Bernard O’Donoghue. Totowa, N.J.:
Barnes & Noble, 1982.
A Work about Bernard de Ventadour
Merwin,W. S. The Mays of Ventadorn. Washington,
D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2002.